City Park attack
sparks CCTV calls

THERE are calls to have security urgently ramped up at City Park following Friday night’s serious assault.

A 66-year-old man was attacked by three men while using the fitness equipment onsite at about 9pm.

Since the incident, Griffith mayor John Dal Broi has admitted security at City Park need addressing, with trees and shrubs growing to a size where they are potentially concealing areas of the park from public view.

“We’ve got a park there that’s top class and we as a council really have a responsibility to make sure the community can use those facilities and feel safe about it,” he said.

“We will have to investigate the possibility of installing cameras and also look at this question of some of these trees that are growing quite rapidly.

“They create an environment where you can’t see all the park.”

But the cost of installing cameras could potentially prove a stumbling block, with Councillor Dal Broi estimating it would set council back in excess of $200,000.

“That’s a lot of money,” he said.

Such an outlay of council funds would be unlikely unless the state or federal governments helped to contribute to the cost of installing the cameras.

In Wagga, where CCTV is currently being installed in the city’s central business district, the federal government committed $500,000 to the project in the lead-up to last year’s federal election.

Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association president Peter Knox said he would like to see CCTV installed in City Park, but not at the expense of ratepayers.

“I’m not against CCTV, so long as it was a grant from the state or federal government,” he said.

“But as ratepayers we’re flat out getting our parks mowed.”

Mr Knox said City Park wasn’t the only security issue Griffith was facing.

“The assaults are not just taking place at City Park, they’re happening all over,” he said.

“I’m concerned the way this town is going with elderly people getting bashed up.”